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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — a company
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pass — a permit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. file — a document
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. firm — steady
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. last — finally
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — final
  22. firm — decided
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com